


After the Dust has Fallen

by fancypearl



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gem War, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, War sucks, bismuth disagrees with Rose on a lot of things and this is one of them, bismuth is protective of their terrifying renegade, can be read as bispearl, pearl martyrs herself and bismuth thinks it's stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 20:32:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7948027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fancypearl/pseuds/fancypearl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She had been out here all alone, calling for them... Calling for Rose. Waiting for the gem she had protected so passionately. <br/>After all she’d done for her, Rose had left her to die. </p><p>or<br/>Pearl sacrifices herself for Rose, and Rose doesn't come back for her right away. Pearl is okay with it.. Bismuth is not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Dust has Fallen

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my very first story on Ao3 so I wanted to write something a little said  
> Just a small disclaimer: I love Rose Quartz, an I'm not hating on her in any way!

After every battle, Bismuth had made it a ritual to walk around the battlefield- taking note of which gems they had lost. The first time, she had cried- which didn’t happen very often (Pearl would disagree and say she was too soft, but she would argue that only Pearl’s tears had any effect on her). 

She would look down at the dust that had fallen across the dirt, making the ground sparkle and reminding her of that that time on Earth when white dust had fallen to the ground. It had been cold and beautiful, and unlike anything on homeworld. 

This dust was beautiful too, but in a different way. The remains of many gems, comrades and foe alike who had given their lives for a cause- whether it be wrong or right. Gems that Bismuth knew, gems that had stared at Garnet in confusion, and gems who’d had to stop themselves from barking an order at Pearl.

She made sure to step over the gems that fought with them... She skipped over a Jade (They had called her Twitch, because a defect had left her with a permanent twitch of the hand). She felt herself shake when she saw Happy (for a Kunzite she’d smiled too much)- she had promised her she would upgrade her weaponry; it was too late now.

Despite the loss that Bismuth felt, deep within herself... She couldn’t help but feel relieved that she didn’t see Garnet’s blue and red shards, or Pearl’s pure white shards.   
She could breathe easy, because her closest friends had made it one more day. 

“Bismuth!” She looked up to see Garnet running towards her, and Bismuth subconsciously took a step back- not use to seeing the usually stoic fusion look so worried. 

“Woah... Tell Rose I’ll be there in a bit, I’m just lookin’ around and seeing who we lost.” She chuckled nervously, as Garnet looked around her. 

“Have you seen Pearl?” 

“Is she not with you?” Bismuth asked. If Pearl made it to the end of the battle, she would always seek her, Garnet, or Rose out, looking for some sort of comfort.

“That’s why I’m asking you!” Garnet stammered, her voice raising slightly. 

“Chill out Ruby, I’m sure she’s with Rose.” Bismuth said softly, placing a hand on Garnet’s shoulder. She expected the fusion to chuckle and playfully push away Bismuth’s arm, but she simply shook her head. 

“No, I was just with Rose and she’s looking for her as well.” Garnet said, looking at the other side of the field. “She said when she last seen her, she was fighting off a Jasper that was trying to get to Rose. I’m afraid she may be hurt.” 

That was all Bismuth needed to hear, and she was off with Garnet close behind her. She felt a tinge of bitterness in her belly. Pearl was brave and strategic, but when it came down to Rose she could be pretty damn irrational. She also felt a bit angry towards Rose... had she forgotten about her, about where she had last seen her? Why didn’t she look for her right after the battle? 

 

The battle had started and ended when the sun was high in the sky, and now it was already falling in the west. If Pearl had retreated to her gem, she had been out in the open for much longer than was necessary- and any of the enemies would kill to get their hands on their renegade. They would shatter her, or capture her and make her their own. 

Bismuth reached the edge of the clearing, hoping that Pearl wasn’t somewhere in the forest. If she was it would take too long to find her. She was growing nervous now; it was unlike Pearl to not find them after a battle, something had to be wrong. 

She cupped her hands over her mouth. “Pearl!” The name had come out frantic on her lips, and her voice was a few octaves higher than her usual deep rumble.

The response was so quiet that she almost didn’t hear her. 

“Bis..” 

Bismuth turned her head quickly to see a figure curled up just a few feet beside her. She was covered in mud and grime, so dirty that Bismuth had looked right over her. Bismuth wondered for a moment if it was even Pearl. But she heard the hitch in her breath and she knew. 

“Oh stars.” She whispered to herself, she turned her head towards the fusion who was on the other side of the clearing. “Garnet! I found her she’s over here!” 

Bismuth hurried to where Pearl was, falling on her knees beside her best friend. Pearl turned her head weakly to look at her, and her hand was holding her side and through the mud, Bismuth could see the vibrant blue seep through her fingers.

She was beaten, her eye closed shut and her leg bent in an odd angle. Why hadn’t she reformed?   
Unless...

Bismuth tried to be gentle as she attempted to wipe the grime off of Pearl’s gem. The small gem cried out when Bismuth’s touched her forehead, small hands trying to Bismuth’s away.

“Hey now, I gotta see what’s going on under here Pearl, I need to know why you- “She stopped mid sentence when she got her answer, there was a huge crack in Pearl’s gem, stopping just past the middle. 

“Oh no, Pearl what happened?” Bismuth asked, already knowing the answer.

“A Jasper... got me good. She was going after Rose. I had to stop her.” Pearl slurred. “I’ve been here for so long- I thought I was going to be shards.” 

Bismuth felt a cold settle in her gem at Pearl’s words. She could have died; she could still die if they didn’t get her to Rose in time. She had been out here all alone, calling for them... Calling for Rose. 

Waiting for the gem she had protected so passionately. 

After all she’d done for her, Rose had left her to die. 

It tasted bitter in her mouth, and Pearl must have known because she let out a weak yelp as Bismuth unknowingly tightened her grip around Pearl.

“Be a bit gentler? I don’t want to shatter.” Pearl chuckled weakly. 

Bismuth heard an intake in breath, and looked up to see Garnet standing just feet away. Before Garnet could say anything, Bismuth lifted Pearl up in her arms. Apologizing slightly when she jostled her injured leg. She ran towards Garnet practically sobbing incoherent words as she approached the fusion.

Pearl let out a strangled gasp and Bismuth stopped dead in her tracks.

“Put her down!” Garnet yelled.

“What- we need to get her to Rose, Garnet!” She replied.

“Put her down you are cracking her gem more!” Garnet shouted even louder this time.

Bismuth looked down, and sure enough the crack in Pearl’s gem had moved even further down. Bismuth’s running and jostled her gem, and she quickly put Pearl down as quickly as she could.

“We need Rose.” Bismuth forced out.

“I know, I’ll go get her and you make sure Pearl doesn’t move. Her gem is fragile, it’s not as strong and yours and mine.” Garnet said, making no attempt to sugar coat the truth in front of Pearl.

Bismuth knew this to be true. They had made Pearls’ gems easy to break, and their bodies easy to destroy. Even though they wouldn’t admit it, they had tried to stop someone like Pearl from happening, before she was even made.

And they failed. 

Oh, stars, Bismuth hoped they would fail. 

“Hold on Pearl, Garnet is going to get Rose and then she’s gonna fix you right up.” Bismuth said, tears starting to form in her eyes at the sight of Pearl in pain. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do with you, Pearl. You’ll be the death of me.” 

Pearl smiled, weakly. “Are you crying? You’re too soft Bismuth.” 

“You always do bring out the worst in me, Pearl.” Bismuth smiled, grabbing a hold of Pearl’s uninjured hand, she squeezed it slightly. “I need you to hold on, we still gotta make fools out of homeworld, and we can’t do that without using their precious coat rack against them.”

“We can’t do that without Rose.” Pearl said gently, closing her eyes. “You can do it without me. I’m not much compared to her.” 

Bismuth sighed and shook her head. “You’ll never see how much you mean to this rebellion, even if I tell you over and over. Rose is a Quartz; they expect her to be able to fight. You’re a Pearl, they don’t expect you to be able to think… And they especially don’t expect you to be able to take down 4 Nephrites.” 

“Five, actually.” 

“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Bismuth smiled.

There was a silence between them, and Bismuth looked around frantically for Garnet and Rose but they weren’t anywhere to be found. 

“I’m not mad at her, you know.” Pearl said suddenly.

Bismuth turned back towards Pearl to find the gem staring at her, intensely through her uninjured eye. “I’m not mad at her for forgetting about me. This is war, she didn’t have time to come back for me. If I die, it’s not on her. P-Please don’t hate her, Bismuth.” 

Bismuth shook her head. “I could never hate her.” That was the truth. “But she left you, and you’re too precious to leave out here. I just wish she could see how much you do for her.”

“I don’t care; I’ll do it anyway. I’ll do it again. I’ll always protect her.” Pearl whispered. “I evolreh..” 

Pearl gasped and pressed her unharmed hand over her mouth. Her speech was becoming worse the more she stayed out here. Bismuth knew that the fact that her words were coming out reversed was not a good sign. 

“You must think I’m an idiot.” Pearl whispered.

Bismuth grew quiet for a second and then grinned at Pearl. “Did I ever tell ya about the time I cracked my own gem?”

Pearl shook her head. 

“I was making a weapon for some gem, ya know. I think it was for a Jade or an Iolite. It was something sharp. It was especially good work if I do say so myself, one of my bests actually. So good that I felt the need to try it out myself.” She explained.

Pearl winced sympathetically, already seeing where this was going.

“I swung it around too fast, and nicked myself right in the gem. Imagine how embarrassing that was going up to the great Rose Quartz and asking her to cry on me because I couldn’t keep my hands to myself.” 

Pearl let out a weak giggle, and Bismuth felt herself smiling. It was a beautiful noise, hearing her laugh. 

Pearls’ didn’t laugh, or at least they weren’t supposed to. She couldn’t help but be thankful that they had a Pearl who could laugh. 

What an amazing defect to have. 

“Oh, my sweet Pearl.” There was sorrow in the voice, and Bismuth turned to see Rose land just behind her, Garnet approaching her side.

Bismuth got up quickly, letting Rose lean over her injured friend and try to heal her. 

Garnet gently placed her hand on Bismuth’s shoulder.

Pearl was smiling, but Bismuth felt odd. 

XXX

Bismuth and Garnet stood outside the tent, staring up at the sky. There was a silence between the two, and after a stressful day, they were thankful that they could stargaze; they were thankful that Pearl was okay. The aforementioned gem, had refused to regenerate much to everyone’s dismay, claiming that she didn’t want to be in her gem if an enemy attacked. She instead agreed to allow Rose to heal her with her tears.

“Garnet, is Pearl going to make it to the end of the war?” Bismuth asked. 

“I can’t tell you for sure. I see many futures. I see a future where Pearl is shattered, I see a future without you in it. I see a future where we all die. But also see one where we all make it out fine.” Garnet explained. “It’s all very complicated.” 

“In the future where Pearl is shattered, is it because of…”   
“Rose?” 

“Yeah.” 

Garnet hesitates but nods. “She dies protecting Rose. I know you don’t understand it Bismuth, and I don’t either. But she loves her, and we could never stop her from dying for Rose.” 

Bismuth shakes her head. “I don’t understand it. I don’t understand how she could put herself in front of Rose. I don’t understand how Rose could leave her out there? Doesn’t she know how much she means? How much we care about her? She’s a free Pearl, why is she doing this?” 

“She is a free Pearl, which is why we must allow her to make this choice.” Garnet explained. “If she chooses to fight for Rose, we allow her to do so. Taking her choice away from her, is not allowing her to learn from her choices. She’s had a lifetime of people choosing for her.”

“I hate it when you get all Sapphire on me.” Bismuth sighed, slumping down. 

“She’s stronger than you know, Bismuth. Give her some credit.” Garnet whispered.

Bismuth nodded. In her perfect future, Pearl would survive the war… Even if she didn’t. 

Pearl would make it out of this war alive, Bismuth would see to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review!


End file.
